Milwaukee Officials Send Letter About Water to Waukesha Mayor

Elected officials from Milwaukee, including Mayor Tom Barrett, sent Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima a letter on Friday reminding him of an April 2010 letter they sent him that requests a response from the mayor asking if Waukesha “is agreeable to the terms” outlined in a Milwaukee resolution that explains what Milwaukee is looking for in a water sales agreement.

The resolution calls for an economic compensation to be given to Milwaukee in order to begin receiving Milwaukee water. Once a water sales agreement is put into place, Milwaukee can’t change the terms of that agreement.

“It should be clearly understood that any and all costs related to the study, design, construction and connection of the water supply from Milwaukee to Waukesha, and the return of treated water to Lake Michigan, shall be borne by Waukesha,” the letter states. “The city of Milwaukee will not be responsible for any of these or related costs.”

Scrima, in an article appearing in Tuesday’s Waukesha Freeman, was highly critical of Milwaukee, claiming the city’s aldermen “think it’s not fair that they inherited a city with financial challenges.”

"Continuing to talk about connecting to Oak Creek or Racine is a smoke screen and not viable due to distance and cost," Scrima said in an e-mail to Waukesha Patch. "This is why Waukesha's application for a Great Lakes diversion, through wording and maps, specifically assumes connection to Milwaukee. Together, as city of Waukesha council and mayor, we can and will negotiate what is best for the businesses and ratepayers whom we represent."

However, negotiations on the future water supplier of Lake Michigan water have not yet begun with Milwaukee, Oak Creek or Racine. Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak said in response to Scrima's comments that there is no smoke screen and that all the costs are in application.

"The application does not specifically assume a Milwaukee connection, and there are project cost estimates provided for all three potential suppliers who have expressed an interest in providing us with water," Duchniak said in an e-mail to Waukesha Patch. " The actual costs will all be defined through the negotiation process.  Although initial estimates may have Oak Creek and Racine as more expensive, negotiations may reveal opportunities such as cost-sharing that make the suppliers more competitive.

"Waukesha is an attractive customer for all the utilities, and we expect negotiations to be productive.  However, we should not negotiate through the press.    

 "The reality is that all the alternatives to Lake Michigan water are also outside the city limits, not as cost effective, not as protective of the environment and not as protective of public health."

The Waukesha Water Commission will be asked to discuss and make a recommendation on who will be on the water negotiation team as the city pursues a potential supplier of Lake Michigan water.

Waukesha is looking to purchase from Milwaukee, Oak Creek or Racine as it applies to divert and return Great Lakes water, which needs the approval of all Great Lakes states.

The recommendation will be discussed at the commission’s meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday. The recommendation will then be forwarded to the Common Council for ultimate approval. 

The Waukesha Water Commission will also discuss the utility’s water supply status report and receive an update on the city’s Great Lakes application.